Florence and the Machine - You've Got The Love

On the 16th November Florence and the Machine release the next single from the album Lungs. You’ve Got The Love is Florence’s expansive take on the Candi Staton anthem, although when Staton recorded the tune its title was You Got The Love. The song has been part of Florence’s live set as long as we can remember. The first time we saw a growing Florence play she only had a handful of songs and filled her performance out with several covers, including this one. As other covers have been discarded You’ve Got The Love still remains, being the finishing stroke on the album.

Lungs is a fantastic album. Some critics and fans alike accused it of being too full of bluster, the production taking away the live energy of the songs, but we very much disagree with this. Its soaring crescendos and range needed to be broad and towering. The structured production brought a new dimension to Florence’s chaos which has subsequently helped alter and define her live shows and take them to higher levels. Which is what You’ve Got The Love also does. No wonder Friendly Fires have also used a sample of the Staton version of the song in their sound clash Your Love.

However as much as we cherish Florence And The Machine and You’ve Got The Love we can’t but help feel a little bit cheated. Cash in are the words on our lips. Christmas market also comes to mind. It’s time for the record company to wheel out the cover version to appeal to those who have yet to succumb to the relatively unique charms of Florence and the Machine. You’ve Got The Love seems to be aimed at the kind of person who buys just a couple of albums a year and only makes that purchase when the product is familiar and comfortable. If that kind of person buys Lungs we’re not quite sure what they’ll make of the rest of it, particularly songs like Girl With One Eye. That would be an interesting one in the Christmas stocking.

Tomorrow we're going to do some musical maths with this song, so come and see here then.